You're the Detective, Figure it Out
by Firey.girl
Summary: In a particularly abandoned and dark alley, Mako heard a cough and soft curses of pain. The two brothers made their way down the lane and found a familiar girl behind the dumpster. She was bruised and bleeding, but it didn't seem to quell her spirit. Little did they know that they would do anything for this girl they just met, and she would do anything for them. Makorra. Oneshot.


**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any ideas or characters associated with The Legend of Korra**

* * *

 ** _You're the Detective, Figure it out!_**

* * *

Mako fiddled with the black pen absentmindedly, his feet resting on the table. Business had been slow today, and he was bored out of his mind.

Lin Beifong, the esteemed chief of police, had already visited earlier in the day to inform him of a petty thief who had been idiotic enough to steal from the Sato mansion. It had been a cinch to solve, concluding that it was the new member of the Triple Threat Triads, trying to prove themselves.

Now that was solved, he was practically begging for a new case to come in. One that would intrigue him and keep him busy for a day or two.

Mako ran a private investigating business with his brother, Bolin, and Lin Beifong supported it. It gave her less work to do, so why not? Bolin mostly worked as a receptionist, however when a huge case came in, he helped his brother out. Not that he needed it. Mako was the best investigator Republic City had ever known, and whenever there was a mystery that needed solving, he was the man for the job.

His thoughts were interrupted by static on his receiver. He pressed down a button and heard his brother's voice.

"I have a girl here to see you, says her name's Lana."

Mako sighed. He planted his feet onto the ground and rolled his padded chair closer to the receiver. This case wouldn't take long. Holding his thumb on a red button he spoke into a microphone set up nearby.

"Send her in."

The receiver went static again for a moment before falling silent. He waited impatiently until he saw a tanned girl walk through his doorway. Her brown hair was tied into three separate ponytails, two small ones on either side of her face, and a longer one on the back of her head. She wore a light blue tank top with a collar that hugged her neck, baggy dark blue trousers with a fur jacket tied on her waist, fur lined brown boots and a light blue and white patterned armband just below her shoulder on her right arm with dark blue arm bands along her wrists. She clearly wasn't from the hot Republic City.

She walked with confidence and when her eyes caught his, he thought he was going to become lost in them. They were the purest blue and they sparkled with sureness and determination. She held his gaze with fierceness and he found himself looking away.

What was he doing? Was he intimidated of her?

Before he could figure it out, he heard her voice. It was confident and determined.

"The name's Lana. Yours?"

He looked up to see an outstretched hand and he took it reluctantly.

"Mako."

He gestured to the seat in front of him and she sat down, smirking slightly. Something rang in the back of his mind. Warning bells. He didn't know how, but this Lana girl was trouble.

"Well, what's your background Lana?"

He watched as her eyes seemed to ponder the question. She seemed to be trying to piece together an answer that wouldn't reveal too much.

She settled for placing an elbow on the desk and leaning forward to rest her head on her hand, a smirk playing on her lips.

"You're the detective, figure it out."

A scowl spread across his face and he felt extremely irritated.

"Private investigator."

Although he knew correcting her was futile, it made him feel better. He spun the chair around and searched a bookshelf, deciding to find out where she came from. According to her appearance, she was wearing some sort of traditional clothing. The colours indicated one of the water tribes, but which one?

After a couple of minutes of searching, he found a book about the Northern Water Tribe and one about the Southern Water Tribe. He flicked through the Northern Water Tribe book first until he reached the clothing chapter. The colours were darker blues and purples, not like the light colours Lana was wearing.

He flipped through the pages of the book on the Southern Water Tribe until he found the clothing chapter, just to confirm his theory. As he scanned the drawings and read he information, he couldn't help but feel glad the girl was making him do this. Maybe this case will be longer than he originally thought. The colours and style of clothing confirmed his theory, and he snickered.

"You're from the Southern Water Tribe, and based on your energy I presume you're a water bender."

Lana clapped her hands and giggled.

"Good job City Boy!"

She froze the water that was sitting in his cup just as he was about to drink from it.

"I didn't need confirmation!"

Lana just giggled which sent an even bigger scowl on his features. She sighed and with a wave of her hand, the ice was defrosted.

The clock struck four and a wave of panic flashed across her features.

"I need you to get me any information on the Equalists…"

She threw a bag of yauns at him.

"I'll be back same time tomorrow."

With that she raced out, quite frantic and Mako couldn't help but try and figure out why.

Sighing, he shrugged it off, thinking she was probably late for a date or something that girls usually do. He flicked through books and files he had and copied information about the Equalists onto spare paper, before slipping it into a folder and storing it away.

* * *

It was six o clock when Mako started to lock up with Bolin. They had waved goodbye to the metal bender security guards that Lin Beifong had appointed to guard the information inside, and made their way past the alleyways to their small apartment above the arena.

In a particularly abandoned and dark alley, Mako heard a cough and soft curses of pain. The two brothers made their way down the lane and found a familiar girl behind the dumpster. Lana. She was bruised and bleeding, but it didn't seem to quell her spirit.

She threw herself up as soon as the boys arrived and managed a smile.

"Lana...?"

Bolin sounded concerned and worried for the dishevelled girl in front of them. It took her a moment to realise they were addressing her, but when she did, her eyes shifted behind them.

"Thank you for the money but I just cannot accept dear citizen."

She smiled a little and pretended to push something back into Mako's hands.

"You have a good evening now!"

Mako and Bolin looked utterly confused. She whispered below her breath as she shook their hands.

"The streets are dangerous right now, as you can see. Get out of here. I'll explain everything tomorrow…"

Before they could speak, Lana had pushed them gently away.

As soon as they had left, three men walked down. Mako and Bolin hid in the shadows, but they were still watching. The smaller two had blocked her from the sides, knowing it was a dead end. The larger grabbed her chin as he spoke.

"What are you doing out here all alone, little girl?"

Korra pulled away and slowly backed away until she could feel the wall. Good, there was no one behind her, but the men were still surrounding her.

"I think you'd fit nicely in our collection…"

The two on the side of her started to advance, and Mako was about to step in before she started to fight.

And boy was she good.

She blasted water at the two at her sides, and kicked the man in front of her in the chin before front flipping out of the immediate danger zone. The three blasted shots of fire and earth at her and she easily dodged them or blocked them. She landed a few shots but she seemed to be… holding back.

Whenever a blast came near Bolin and Mako, she'd block it completely and steer the fight away. Of course, she knew they were there.

When she had the three immobilised, a clap came from behind her, the only escape route she had. The Triple Threat Triads had arrived.

"Good to see ya again so soon Korra!"

Korra (or Lana) spun around and smirked.

"Leave, you have no business here. We already had our little meeting!"

Viper just shook his head and 'tsked' very loudly.

"We agreed on four dear. You were the one late, not us."

Korra was about to throw a watery punch but Viper's threat stopped her in her path.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you… Don't want a certain…secret…to be out, wouldn't ya now?"

Korra sighed and dropped her fist, but her anger still radiated off her.

"What do you want?"

"The boss wants to see ya"

"Course he does…"

Instead of putting up a fight, Korra was led away from the alley and men still writhing on the ground in pain. Mako and Bolin sighed, deciding to wait for a few hours and see if Korra (or Lana – it was seriously confusing) would return. The men had left a few minutes after the triads left. Now they were all alone.

* * *

It was about Midnight when Korra dragged her broken form back into the alleyway. The brothers were just about to leave before they noticed her arrival. She trudged past them, seemingly not knowing they were there. Well, until she addressed them in a weak voice.

"You're still here?"

Mako and Bolin cautiously wandered out from their hiding place and went over to her. She had painfully made her way behind a dumpster and had collapsed onto the cold hard floor. Bolin crouched down beside her while Mako was standing.

"Why'd you do that? You were gonna win and then you gave it away…"

Korra stared at Bolin, struggling to keep her eyes open.

"I needed to keep you guys safe…"

Bolin and Mako shared a sigh. The silence stretched on for several minutes until Mako broke it, his voice gentler than he had wanted.

"We don't understand, please help us to…"

Korra sighed and her eyelids closed for a moment before she opened again. The girl was exhausted, and was clearly battling with herself to hold onto consciousness.

"There are too many ears here."

Mako and Bolin exchanged a look before getting up and discussing what should happen.

"It's not safe on the streets, especially since she is already beaten up…"

"Yeah but where is a safe place Bo?"

"Ummmm, well our house is safe…"

"Bolin…"

"C'mon Mako it's the safest bet for her to survive another night!"

"How do you know she would even trust us? She's only known us for a few hours!"

"She trusts us. I know she does."

Before Mako could even respond, Bolin had made his way back to crouching beside the girl. She looked up at him, curiosity evident in her broken eyes.

"We have a safe place you can stay, but you have to tell us everything, okay?"

Her eyes connected with his for a minute, and for a split second, Bolin saw fear.

"You can trust us…"

A small smile spread across her lips.

"I know… And I do…"

She got to her feet, stumbling a bit, and tried to take a step before falling forwards, only to be caught by Mako. She insisted that she walk on her own, so the boys walked either side of her, protecting her from danger and making sure she didn't fall.

When they arrived in the apartment, the boys sat down on some chairs and gestured her toward the couch. She shook her head, telling them she wanted to explain herself.

"My name is Korra…and I'm…"

She sighed, stopping herself short. She took a deep breath and bent the water out of a nearby cup. Then, she lit a small flame in her hand. Finally, she bent an earth disc that was lying deserted on a nearby table into her hand.

"My name is Korra…and I'm the Avatar."

Mako and Bolin were shocked. They were not expecting this. She was exhausted now, and was about to collapse until Mako caught her. She smiled and took a seat near the cup of water. She bent the water out of the cup and it glowed a bright blue as she attached onto her many injuries. Once she had finished healing herself, all her energy was drained.

Mako led her to the couch and she sat in the middle of the two brothers.

"I came to Republic City on an undercover mission to take out the equalists at the source. Amon. Of course, if people would've found out I was the Avatar, Amon would somehow be informed and I'd be dead. So, people think I'm just Lana the street girl. Well, everyone but the Triple Threat…"

She paused and sighed.

"They found out I was the Avatar when I stood in the way of them killing a defenceless woman. When they took me to see Zolt, I managed to get away with a bit of fire bending. Knowing they had already seen me water bend I knew the secret was out. They told me to meet them at four yesterday to talk about the arrangements on keeping my secret a secret and I was late…"

She trailed off before sighing, knowing she had to tell Mako and Bolin everything.

"Then the men attacked me and I knew you guys were there so I had to hold back most of my power, because I was just a street girl to you. Then the Triple Threat Triads arrived and I knew what they were after. I couldn't endanger anyone else, so I didn't put up a fight…"

Her voice was choked after that.

"I wanted to prove everyone wrong… That I wasn't a half-baked Avatar who hadn't mastered air bending yet. I wanted to prove I could take the equalists down on my own, even if it was the last thing I will ever do…"

Mako sighed at that and Bolin had his hand on her shoulder.

"I guess everyone was right..."

Strangely, Mako found himself squeezing Korra's hand. Her eyes connected with his and he saw a tear fall. She roughly rubbed it away.

"I'm sorry. I guess I'll go now…"

She went to leave but Mako stood in her way.

"It's too dangerous out there Korra. Stay here for the night…"

She looked at him, then Bolin and then him again.

"I don't want to outstay my welcome…"

Bolin laughed and got to his feet.

"Nonsense, it's fine!"

She sighed, but he threw her a blanket and she had no choice but to lay down on the couch. The boys bid her goodnight and started to make their way to their room. Mako took one look back and saw that she was already fast asleep. He nudged Bolin and he giggled a bit. Mako sighed a strange feeling of warmth building in her chest. He didn't know it yet, but he was falling for Korra.

And he was falling hard.

* * *

The sun had just peeped its head over the horizon, casting rays of light in the waking world. Mako had woken with the sun, like he usually did, and had woken Bolin up as well. They had work to do today, mainly concerning the Avatar. It had been a week since they had found out the identity of Korra, and they were getting along well.

When they walked into the living room, they found Korra still fast asleep on the couch. Bolin tapped her on the shoulder and she reluctantly rolled out of her covers. She fell on the ground and Bolin giggled while Mako smirked. She raised her head up to look at them, her hair falling in front of her face. Only now did Mako realise that she lost her hair ties in the fights last night.

Seemingly realising where she was, she stood up before rubbing the back of her neck, a sheepish look on her face.

"Morning…"

Mako smiled and Bolin yawned with Korra. Neither of them were morning people.

"We're gonna go down to Lin Beifong, the chief of police."

Korra's usually happy face turned into a scowl.

"I'm familiar with her."

Bolin didn't seem to catch the annoyance radiating off her, and they walked down to the station. Something was wrong with Korra. And Mako intended to find out.

* * *

They arrived at the station and Lin met them out the back, knowing that if Korra was with them it wasn't good.

"Ahh Lana, is it?"

The chief had arrived in front of them now, shooting a glare at Korra.

"Korra."

She sighed when Mako corrected her.

"Of course, you know. I told them she wasn't cut out for this!"

Before Mako could respond, he heard Korra's frantic voice.

"GUYS!"

Before he even had the chance to turn, a slab of earth enclosed around him, Lin and Bolin. For a second it was quiet and he wondered why Korra had done that. Lin was trying to bend it down but Korra was holding it with force.

Then Mako heard it.

A bomb had gone off practically right in front of them, and Korra was still in the open. She had been too busy making sure they were safe to worry about herself. Mako guessed that the impact could've killed Korra, and he was worried. Lin was still meeting resistance when trying to bend the earth, so Korra was still alive. Mako could hear the Lieutenant's voice cut through the air, and he assumed there were a dozen or so more equalists with him.

This wasn't good.

"Avatar! You've finally paid Republic City a visit I see…"

Mako could vaguely make out the sound of Korra coughing before her weak yet determined voice.

"I suppose I have."

Lin was able to bend a small hole out of the earth that the three could see out of, but Mako wished she hadn't. The sight was extremely confronting.

Korra was lying against a wall, covered in dust and blood. The Lieutenant was standing over her, his hand grasped firmly on her chin, forcing her to look at him. Mako felt sick, hoping Korra would be alright. She was in no condition to fight back, and she was still focused on keeping the three safe.

Finally, the Lieutenant dropped her face and it hit the ground. Hard.

"Knock her out. Amon would prefer her immobilised."

Mako could only watch as they electrocuted her. She was writhing in pain, but the grip on the earth lasted until she was unconscious. By then, it was too late.

She was gone.

Mako was about to ran after her, but Lin placed her hand on his shoulder.

"We need to come up with a plan to get her back kid."

Sighing, Mako turned to his little brother. He nodded sadly. Bolin and Korra had been getting along well too, and now the equalists are going to ruin everything.

They went back to the office and Lin sent some officers to check for any more explosives. The whole time, Mako couldn't stop thinking about the pain Korra could be enduring while he was sitting doing nothing.

* * *

Korra woke bleary-eyed in a strange room. She went to move, but a wave of pain washed through her and chains restrained her. Suddenly, the events that led to her capture creeped back into her mind. At least the others were alright.

Footsteps drew her back to reality and she saw a mask that would be the cause of so many future nightmares. He yanked her face to be level with his and she winced at the pain. That was going to bruise.

"Hello little Avatar…"

His deep, menacing voice sent shivers down Korra's spine. She couldn't hide the fear in her face no matter how hard she tried. She wasn't scared though.

She was petrified.

"I'm not going to take your bending yet Avatar. No, that would be no fun. Instead, I will break you. I see you've gotten close to a fire bender and earth bender."

An extra wave of fear and worry coursed through her.

"No!"

Even with the mask, she could see him smirking.

"I will make sure you won't recognise them. You won't trust them."

"NO! Please…"

Amon pulled a chest that was nearby open, and a black, slimy root was placed in it. Korra instantly recognised what it was. It was a Nyah root. It would send the victim into a fear that it can't escape, terrible nightmares and they often don't recognise anyone. Sometimes in some cases, the victim wouldn't speak, purely out of fear. The worst thing though, was that there was no cure.

Amon smiled as he tossed it at her, and she screamed, the slime already melting into her body. Amon left her after, chuckling the entire away. Korra tossed and turned and tried to rid herself of the fear that was creeping up on her, but it was no use.

For seven days Korra had stayed like that, reaching the point of no return. She couldn't do anything. Amon came in and snickered before calling in a group of equalists to beat her up. She was bruised and broken but he just laughed. Korra closed her eyes for just a second, but when she opened them again, she was in a weird abandoned street she'd never seen before in her life.

For an extra two days Korra was lying in the street, trembling and shivering. She was dehydrated and hungry, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She felt like throwing up, the fear crawling in the pit of her stomach.

* * *

It had been nine days. Nine days since Korra was taken. Was she dead? Lin had already assumed that and called off the search, but that didn't stop Mako and Bolin. They would look in streets further away. Perhaps she was being held there.

They were about to call it a day when they heard it. A whimpering in a dark street. Mako raced to where it was with Bolin close behind. The sight made him want to personally find Amon and kill him in cold blood. Korra was curled in on herself, badly bruised and bleeding, and she was so obviously scared.

He knelt beside her and went to pick her up, but she started thrashing around.

"Korra it's me. Mako."

Korra opened her eyes and stared at him for a moment before shaking her head and thrashing around again. She sent a wave of fire at Mako that he easily blocked.

"Bo, there is something seriously wrong with Korra. We need to get her to a healer stat!"

He firmly picked her up in a way that wouldn't hurt her but would block her from making any attacks. They raced to the healers' hut, with Bolin trying to calm Korra down. It didn't work.

They finally arrived and raced in. A healer greeted them, said her name was Kya. She was the best healer in the hospital, being the daughter of Katara.

She led them into a hut and Mako laid Korra down on the bed. As soon as she was free of his hold, she started thrashing and fighting everyone again, so Kya had to restrain her and give her a strong sedative.

After about ten minutes, Korra had become still and Kya could begin the analysis. She ran her hands just above Korra, trying to pinpoint the cause of her fear. After a few minutes, she turned to face Mako and Bolin, a grave look on her face.

"Was she captured nine days ago?"

Mako and Bolin exchanged glances.

"Yes, that's right… How do you know that?"

She sighed, looking back at the girl who had started trembling again.

"Aside from all the injuries caused by beatings, she has suffered at the hand of Nyah root."

Mako and Bolin shared a worried yet puzzled look.

"A Nyah root is a black, slimy root that spreads fear into the victim. It haunts their mind, and sometimes they can't speak because they're scared. The worst part of it, is that there is no cure…"

She took a glace back at the shaking girl.

"It's clear that the root was thrown onto her about nine days ago, and she is in such a terrible condition I can assume it stayed on her for seven days straight or more."

The boys exchanged glances before watching Korra shake and tremble.

"What can we do to help?"

Kya looked at Mako and then back at Korra. She told them to wait in the waiting room while she healed most her wounds. Afterwards, they had to try and get Korra to recognise them.

Mako and Bolin were anxiously waiting for Kya to come out for about half an hour. When she finally did appear, she spoke softly.

"I'm going to send word for my mother, Katara, to come up. She will help us find a cure. But for now, I need you two to try and get her to remember you, find out what happened. Can you do that?"

The boys both nodded and made their way into the room.

Korra was lying on the bed, trying to toss and turn and pull herself free.

Mako slowly made his way over to her, trying not to startle her. Bolin was following as well, and soon they had made their way onto a bedside chair each.

"It's me, Mako. Everything is gonna be alright…"

She stared at him for a moment before shaking her head and squeezing her eyes shut.

"Hey… How can you forget the amazing Bolin?"

Mako sighed at Bolin. This was going to be harder than he thought.

"I'm a private investigator, remember?"

Bolin must've noticed Korra's confusion and distress as he spoke next.

"Don't fight it Korra, you know who we are…"

She opened her eyes and stared at them for a while. Mako noticed a glimmer of hope shine in the fear that clouded her eyes.

"Detective."

Mako blinked, trying to contain his smile. Even through all this, she had time to get under his skin. Bolin giggled a little, but stopped when Mako glared at him. Deciding to let it slide, he asked her a question, hoping she would talk more.

"Are you okay?"

She closed her eyes and Mako decided she wasn't going to talk more. But he needed to hear her voice. He clasped his warm hand around her cold one and smiled at her. She held eye contact for a while until she broke away, a small smirk on her lips.

"You're the detective, figure it out!"

He sighed. She obviously wasn't taking this seriously. _Or needs some sort of relief from the fear…_ He tried to ignore the voice in his head and moved on.

"What happened?"

She sighed and seemingly contemplated whether to answer.

"I heard a bomb ticking and saw the equalists that day. Lin was too busy saying how much of a failure I was to notice, so I saved you guys instead. I was blasted back to the wall but I didn't want you guys in danger, so I kept the earth up around you instead of saving myself. I can't remember after that but I woke up in this platinum cell. Amon told me that he wouldn't take my bending, but break me first. Then he threw a Nyah root on me and left me for seven days. Then he dumped me on the street and you guys found me after two days…"

Her voice was wavering and Mako was fuming. He wanted to strangle that man and make him suffer like Korra was. He was about to say something, anything, but Kya came in.

"Hello Korra!"

Korra blinked a few times, retreating further in the covers. She sighed and approached slowly.

"Do you want the handcuffs off now?"

Korra looked at the floor and then nodded her head slightly.

"But you must promise not to attack, okay?"

She nodded her head again.

Kya slowly walked over and knelt beside her, slowly taking off the handcuffs. When they were off, Korra moved her hands a little before staring at them. Kya was about to put them back on again, thinking she was going to do something stupid, but Korra just buried herself in the covers and closed her eyes.

Kya smiled and softly informed them that she would come back in a few hours to update her medication.

Mako watched as her breathing evened out and a peaceful look set on her face. Bolin closed his eyes as well, and it didn't take long for him to be fast asleep. Mako looked at the clock. Midnight. He would stay awake and watch over Korra, making sure nothing happened to her.

* * *

It was two in the morning when Korra woke with a scream. Bolin was up with a start and Mako was on high alert. Realising there was no immediate danger, and that Korra just had a nightmare, didn't relax Mako like it should have.

Korra was panting and crying and shaking. She was so scared and vulnerable. Mako carefully walked over to her, making sure he didn't startle her. She was lashing out at everything and when she saw Mako, he could tell she didn't recognise him. He crouched beside her and slowly took her hand in his, hoping she would realise it was him.

"Korra… It's me, Mako…"

She blinked a bit and her hands flew to her head, as if checking it was still on.

"M-Mako…?"

She threw herself at him, hugging him close to her. She buried her head in his chest and he awkwardly patted her back.

"W-where's Bolin?"

Her voice sounded worried and… guilty.

"I'm here!"

Bolin wandered over to the bedside and she threw herself at him next.

"I-I thought I k-k-k-killed you…"

Bolin and Mako exchanged glances.

"We're fine Korra. We're right here with you…"

Kya burst in the door next. She had some sort of needle in her hand.

"I heard a scream, Is everything okay?"

Korra sank back down into the covers and trembled a bit.

"Just a n-nightmare…"

Her voice was soft, barely audible, but somehow Kya managed to catch it.

"Don't worry darling, this medicine should fix it!"

She injected the liquid in the needle and then pulled the brothers outside to talk.

"I injected her with something that will make her fall into a dreamless sleep, but it might not work due to the Nyah root being a factor."

They nodded and walked back in the room. Korra's eyes were half opened and she was muttering something about not going to sleep. Kya walked over to her and smiled warmly at her.

"But sweetie, if you want to get better you'll have to sleep…"

"No… Not sleeping…"

Mako sighed. She was definitely a fighter. Slowly, he unwrapped his scarf and stared at it in his hands. After a moment hesitation, he wrapped it around Korra's neck, and she closed her eyes and buried herself in it. A minute later, she was asleep.

Kya smiled brightly and walked away, saying she'd be back in an hour or two.

When Kya was out of the room, Bolin and Mako took their seats again. After a while of silence, Bolin spoke in a matter of fact voice.

"You like her."

Mako didn't respond. Maybe it was because he was making sure Korra was okay. Maybe it was because he couldn't deny it. He didn't know which yet.

* * *

It was about eight in the morning when Korra woke up. Bolin had woken up an hour before, and Mako had been up all night. Throughout the night, Kya had come in and injected more medicine into Korra's system, but not once did she stir.

Finally, she was awake and she was doing a lot better than Kya had thought. She was slightly shaking all the time and had a few moments where she wouldn't recognise anyone, but she was talking and was smiling.

When she had figured out she was wearing Mako's scarf her face flushed red and she practically shoved it back into his arms, muttering her thanks.

Mako had informed Lin about Korra's situation and she curtly told him to put aside his investigating job and focus on helping the Avatar. He didn't refuse.

The days had been wasted away with jokes and stories and the occasional freak out, and before they knew it, a week had passed. Mako hadn't had a wink of sleep, so Bolin and Kya forced him to sleep in the apartment that night. He reluctantly agreed.

What could go wrong with one night off?

* * *

Korra was terrfied on this night. Mako had left for rest, which Korra didn't blame him for. Everyone had told her that he was up all night every night. Not that she didn't trust Bolin, there was just a strange sense of danger brewing in her gut. The same the day she was taken by the Equalists.

She dismissed it and sighed, taking the medication Kya had given her to help with her nightmares. She could hear Bolin already snoring and felt her own eyes droop a bit. However, she was jolted awake by the sound of glass shattering.

She was up in an instant, ignoring the fear that tugged at her. Equalists were already surrounding her and had Bolin restrained. The Lieutenant came in with the very root that was haunting her. She heard it scream and it took all her self-restraint to stop herself from breaking down. She needed to be strong, for Bolin.

"Let him go."

The Lieutenant turned to her and smiled, shaking the root in her face. She gritted her teeth and stared at him. She could see the figure that haunted her nightmares in front of her, the Lieutenant replaced by the figure. It was her, but evil. The figure's hair was released at the back, and her blue eyes were replaced by red ones. Her lips were black and she was wearing a black fishtail dress that was laced with red, and black tights equipped with black gloves.

"L-let him go. Take me, but leave him!"

The Lieutenant smirked and electrocuted Bolin before throwing him to the ground. He threw the root onto Korra and the last thing she remembered was staring into Bolin's drooping eyes while screaming.

* * *

Mako was racing to the healers' hut. Kya had sent word that Bolin was unconscious and Korra was… gone.

He arrived as soon as he could, and raced to his brother's room. He was awake, but he had cuts and burns all over his arms. He raced to his brother's side and knelt beside him.

"Bo, are you okay? What happened?"

Mako saw a glimmer of guilt and regret spread across his brother's face.

"I'm sorry… Equalists attacked and they grabbed me. The Lieutenant had some weird black plant thing and Korra looked seriously scared. But… But she gave herself up instead of me being taken. They threw the plant at her and she screamed and then…. I can't remember…"

Mako sighed. Korra was so selfless.

"The Nyah root."

The brothers turned to see Kya standing in the doorway. She smiled and handed a slip of paper to Mako.

"We found this on her bed…"

Mako slowly opened it and read it.

 _We're hiding in the cabin on the outskirts of Republic City. Better hurry, she might not be alive when you arrive… ~ Amon_

"They've taken her to the old cabin in the snow."

Kya and Bolin turned to him.

"I'm going after her. Don't try and stop me!"

Bolin smiled and threw himself out of the bed, much to Kya's disapproval.

"Who said anything about stopping you? I'm coming with!"

The brothers smiled and raced out.

* * *

Fear. It's not a physical thing. You can't touch it, yet it can control you and corrupt your mind. It can be a powerful force. Korra was on the edge of a cliff, and if she had one more nudge she would fall into an abyss of fear and there would be no coming back.

She was in a clear box, surrounded by countless Nyah roots. She was bent over her knees, clutching her head for dear life. That girl, that evil Korra, she was trying to take over. But no, Korra was strong.

She'd fight.

Korra had lost track of time. She was so focused on holding on to the world, she was bottling up all the fear without even knowing. A frantic knock on the window pulled her from her thoughts and she stared up at the figure.

For a split second, she saw Mako and Bolin, but they turned into that figure.

She was about to crouch back over again when she saw Amon walk in. He moved his hand and the people who had tapped on the window were in the air, their limbs moving in different ways.

That was all it took for Korra.

She saw the evil version of her holding out her hand, and she took it.

She was hauled to her feet and was embraced. She hugged back and slowly she could feel a negative power surge through her.

The slime from the Nyah roots spun around her and slowly she changed into the figure. The fishtail dress, tights, gloves and lips. The only thing missing, were the red eyes.

She bent down and used the slime as war paint, two stripes on each cheek.

She kicked down the door and ran through. It stunned Amon for a moment, and he dropped the two boys. Korra raced over to them and made sure they were okay, until her eyes morphed into red.

She walked toward Amon, an evil smirk playing on her lips. He held out his hand in an attempt to blood bend her, but she kept walking.

"Impossible!"

She cackled.

"Oh Amon, you're messing with powers you could only wish to understand."

She held her out her hand and he flew up to the sky.

"I can blood bend too! But I have something even more painful for you to endure!"

She dropped him on the ground with a thud. Slowly, she moved her arms forward and twirled them, a black slime oozing from her fingertips. Her clothing started to change back to normal and her eyes too, leaving the normal Korra bending a gigantic amount of Nyah slime in front of her. She pushed it forward and it tangled around Amon, chaining him to the ground and leaving him in a pit of fear.

Slowly, she collapsed to her knees, realising what had happened. She had turned evil. No avatar should do that. She was a disgrace.

She didn't even realise she was crying until she felt a hand on her cheek. She looked up to see Mako crouched in front of her, wiping tears from her eyes.

She smiled and threw herself at him, hugging him tightly. She buried her head in his chest before the world drifted into darkness.

But she felt safe.

Mako was a little surprised when Korra hugged him, but he embraced her anyway. He knew how hard this was for her, turning evil to defeat someone and she was just so exhausted.

He felt her relax in his grip and he knew she was out cold.

Slowly, he picked her up bridal style and they made their way back to the healers' hut, hugging her close.

Bolin was trailing behind, a smile playing on his lips. Mako knew what he was grinning about. Mako did too.

He liked her, there was no doubt. Somehow, he had managed to accept that.

Mako stayed by Korra's side the whole time, guarding her. It had been two days, and she was tossing and turning. Every now and then, a tear would fall for her eyes and Mako's heart would break in two. He didn't want her to cry.

Not anymore.

She woke later that night, when it was only him and her. She was a little alarmed at first, but he managed to calm her down using soothing words. She stared at him for a bit, studying him. He smiled warmly at her and she managed a small smile back.

The medication they had given her would make her sleepy and loopy. Not a good combination.

She reached out and brushed her hand through his hair. He smiled as she brushed her hand along his cheek, trailing her fingers across his lips.

"I really like you and I think we were meant for each other…"

Hers eyes closed and her breathing evened out just after she had confessed to him. He smiled. He kissed her temple and brushed her hair away from her face.

* * *

A week after her confession, she was out of the healers' hut. She still had a job to do, and that was to get rid of the equalists.

With Amon jailed, most equalists had given up, but some still led riots.

Korra could deal with them easily, and she always had a fire bender and earth bender beside her.

It was a rainy day when Korra was home alone with Mako. She was oblivious to the fact that he knew she liked him.

He played a mover and they set up on the couch, each sitting at opposite ends. Korra was yawning every few minutes and he couldn't help but chuckle. She was still exhausted from all her recent work and he didn't blame her.

He contemplated what to do. He could have a ton of fun teasing her, or he could ask her out. He decided to go with both.

"Hey Korra…"

She turned to look at him.

"When you were in the healers', you confessed that you liked me."

His statement was so blunt yet he could see the blush form on her cheeks.

"Do you like me?"

His tone was teasing and he couldn't help but chuckle at her embarrassment.

"You're the detective, figure it out!"

"Ok, let's go out to dinner one night."

"Are you asking me on a date, City boy?"

"You're the Avatar, figure it out!"

She smiled and so did he. For a moment, everything was perfect. Little did they know of the heartbreak, pain and fear that lay ahead.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys! The thought came to mind and I decided to write about it. If you didn't already come from there, go check out** ** _The Price of Fate_** **. I'm thinking about doing a sequel so if you think I should, or have any suggestions, give this story a review.**


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